{"id":50397,"date":"2021-06-06T21:07:06","date_gmt":"2021-06-06T20:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?p=50397"},"modified":"2021-06-09T10:43:26","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T09:43:26","slug":"the-uk-must-not-abandon-commitments-to-international-aid-during-a-global-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2021\/06\/06\/the-uk-must-not-abandon-commitments-to-international-aid-during-a-global-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"The UK must not abandon commitments to international aid during a global pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"standfirst\">This is the worst moment for the UK to turn its back on global child health, argues these authors<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many argue that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/369\/bmj.m2287.full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">women and children have been an afterthought <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">throughout the covid-19 pandemic response, but the UK\u2019s drastic cuts to international aid are perhaps the most brazen example. The numbers of maternal and child deaths that occur globally as a result of these cuts may even outweigh covid-19 deaths in the UK.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.g7uk.org\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The G7 conference this week<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> will be a moment of national shame if these cuts to international aid are not reversed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(17)31833-0\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over 5 million children still die from preventable causes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> every year, and due to the collateral impact of the pandemic, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/langlo\/article\/PIIS2214-109X(20)30229-1\/fulltext\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the numbers of children dying from preventable causes is predicted to rise<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(17)31833-0\/fulltext\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the first time since the G7 was founded. <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In addition to increased child deaths, there is also likely to be a significant rise in morbidity arising from the collateral impact of the pandemic and the increase in poverty and other social determinants, much of which will be unaddressed due to disruption of health services and the re-direction of already limited resources. Children have long-standing and internationally agreed rights to be supported to live a healthy, fulfilling life. These cuts undermine and threaten the realisation of these rights for many children and will not only impact upon child survival, but also longer term development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now is the worst possible moment to cut the United Kingdom\u2019s support for global child health programmes. The likely impact on children of the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.devex.com\/news\/tracking-the-uk-s-controversial-aid-cuts-99883#:~:text=On%20Nov.,the%20government%20to%20the%20target.\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">growing list of aid cuts <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is becoming clear. The UK government has<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/press-releases\/unicef-statement-uk-funding-cuts\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">slashed core funding to the United Nations Children\u2019s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) by 60%,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> which the organisation says will have \u201cserious consequences\u201d for children, particularly in humanitarian emergencies. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unfpa.org\/press\/statement-uk-government-funding-cuts\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cuts of 85% to reproductive health funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have also been announced<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, abandoning commitments which could prevent 250,000 maternal and child deaths according to the organisation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cuts to food aid, while needs are increasing worldwide, are particularly worrying for children. At home, paediatricians have<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcpch.ac.uk\/news-events\/news\/2200-paediatricians-sign-open-letter-prime-minister-urging-government-extend-free\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">spoken out <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">in support for extending free school meals for children in the UK. It is ironic that since the government heeded this call, and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-england-devon-55348047\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">organisations such as UNICEF stepped in to feed children in the UK<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, the UK government has reportedly<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.actionagainsthunger.org.uk\/press-releases\/uk-government-set-to-cut-malnutrition-programmes-by-80-leaving-tens-of-thousands-of-children-hungry-and-at-risk-of-starvation\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">slashed international food aid by 80%, abandoning malnutrition programmes which keep hundreds of thousands of children alive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. At this moment when<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2021\/03\/1088022\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">20 countries face the highest risk of famine in decades<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, such cuts to humanitarian aid have been described by the UN Secretary General as a<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/press\/en\/2021\/sgsm20607.doc.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">death sentence<\/span><\/a>.<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The fact that the UK is currently<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.g7.utoronto.ca\/foreign\/210505-foreign-and-development-famine.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">leading a Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Compact agreement as part of its G7 presidency<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> while simultaneously removing so much support to food aid is unconscionable.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Further cuts to UK aid are numerous, but include <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rcpch.ac.uk\/news-events\/news\/rcpch-responds-cuts-uk-government-has-made-global-aid-budget\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">child health partnerships<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thet.org\/resources\/thet-press-release-government-cuts-48million-in-funding-for-global-health-training-as-part-of-uk-aid-spending-cuts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">training schemes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and reduced support for infectious diseases, with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unaids.org\/en\/resources\/presscentre\/pressreleaseandstatementarchive\/2021\/april\/20210429_uk_funding\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">UK funding to UNAIDS being cut by more than 80%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and funding for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/global-health\/science-and-disease\/uk-government-cuts-almost-wipe-funding-tackle-neglected-diseases\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">neglected tropical diseases<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> almost wiped out. Even <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/polioeradication.org\/news-post\/gpei-statement-on-proposed-uk-aid-cuts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">polio<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a disease the UK could soon have been proud to have played a role in defeating, will see UK funding reduced by 95%, putting crucial eradication efforts at risk which have already been shaken by covid-19.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the UK Government\u2019s support for covid-19 interventions such as COVAX is welcome and should go further,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-56910102\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">cuts in funding of 80% for water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">one of few aspects of the covid-19 response which could directly benefit children as well as reducing covid-19 transmission, are inexplicable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These cuts to essential aid and development programmes will contribute to the avoidable deaths of thousands of women and children.\u00a0Abandoning the UK government\u2019s legal and party manifesto commitment to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on aid during a global pandemic is a grave mistake for which children will largely pay the price. It represents a huge step backwards in the fight to address global health inequity, an issue of common benefit to all nations, and will be a matter of national shame as the UK takes up the presidency of the G7 this week in Cornwall if the government does not change course.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Srinivasa Bhargav Rambhatla<\/strong>, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">junior paediatric doctor in London. Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sbrambhatla?lang=en\">@SBRambhatla<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Neal Russell<\/strong>, p<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">aediatric clinical research fellow and paediatric advisor for MSF. Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nealjrussell?lang=en\">@NealJRussell<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Mike Kalmus Eliasz<\/strong>, p<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">aediatric trainee and NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Global Child Health at the University of Liverpool. Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mike_eliasz?lang=en\">@mike_eliasz<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy<\/strong>, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">junior doctor working in the Yorkshire &amp; Humber Deanery.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Andrew Clarke<\/strong>, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">senior health advisor at Save the Children UK; paediatric nurse and specialist public health nurse; working across East and West Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Delan Devakumar<\/strong>, a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ssociate professor in Child and Adolescent health and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">o-director of the UCL Centre for the Health of Women, Children and Adolescents. Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/djdevakumar?lang=en\">@DJDevakumar<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We are all members of the International Child Health Group, a special interest group of the RCPCH, and all represent their own opinions rather than that of their organisations. Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intchildhealth?lang=en\">@IntChildHealth<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Competing interests<\/strong>: none declared.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is the worst moment for the UK to turn its back on global child health, argues these authors [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2021\/06\/06\/the-uk-must-not-abandon-commitments-to-international-aid-during-a-global-pandemic\/\">More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":50398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[263],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-global-health"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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